A Matter Of Confidence
by Mocha-Queen19
Summary: Summary Inside. RyomaSakunoAtobe


Summary: Confidence wasn't something Sakuno possessed. In fact the lack of confidents caused her to lose the man she loved eight years earlier. Now a second chance to confess her heart has arisen, but Sakuno still suffers with courage deficiency where Ryoma Echizen is concerned. So what does she do? Enlist a man full of self confidence to bring her to full potential. But what will happen when her lesson in self assuredness begins to become so much more? Will she succumb to her feeling for her arrogant teacher, or pursue the man she's loved since junior high?

Warning: Sakuno out of character first two chaps , but she'll get back to her normal bashful self soon enough.

A Matter of Confidence

By Mocha Queen

Chapter One

Sakuno slipped into her white coat, and grabbed her clipboard from the locker room bench before heading out onto the hospital hallways to begin her rounds. The halls were crowded with patients and therapist off to their daily routines. Sakuno nodded occasionally, acknowledging one co-worker after the next as she continued on her route. She glanced to her watch noting the time. She was scheduled to meet with a new patient today.

Sakuno was always apprehensive when meeting with new patients. Who knew what they had in store from her. Their personalities varied according to their injuries. There were those patients that suffered with minor injury, and needed little care. Then there were patients that had suffered severe injuries, but had accepted the realities of those injuries, and wanted nothing more than to do all they could to over come those injuries.

These patients were easy to work with. Sakuno actually welcomed opportunities to be with these sorts of patients. They were refreshing burst of hope in an occupation that could be rather draining. Especially when dealing with a patient that had sustained serious injuries, and lost all hope of reclaiming their careers. Still this was a profession she'd chosen in order to remain close to a sport she loved dearly, tennis.

In the beginning she hadn't much of a clue what she wanted to do once her attempts at being a tennis star failed. Tennis was a sport that held a special place in her heart, but she just didn't have the talent to follow through, like Kaidoh Kaoru with his snake, Tezuka Kunimitsu and his zone , Momoshiro Takeshi and his dunk smash, or even Fuji Syusuke and his Swallow Return. And she most certainly didn't posses a thimble full of the talent that Ryoma Echizen had been blessed with. A natural tenacity and ability to learn the most difficult of techniques with little effort couldn't be described as anything less.

Ryoma. A crooked smile eased onto her mouth. It had been awhile since she'd last thought of him. Not that he didn't cross her mind, just not as often as he once had. There was once a time when that boy had consumed her every thought. Although he wasn't much of a boy anymore. In fact he was a twenty-five year old tennis pro living in the United States.

Sakuno could still remember the day he'd left. The sounds of Tomoko-chan's voice loud, and filled with excitement of the not so good kind as she called to slap her with the less than welcomed news of Ryoma's departure. This is your last chance. If you don't tell him now, you may never get another opportunity to do so, had been Tomoko's words to her.

As if what she felt made a bit of difference to Ryoma Echizen, She'd rushed to the air port, catching him just as his plane was boarding. Sakuno could still envision the startled look in those large seaweed green eyes of his as he stared from beneath his baseball cap, onyx bangs shadowing his brow. He was every bit handsome standing there. Loose fit denim jeans riding low on his waist. A simple green knit pullover, and nylon jacket. Yes, every bit handsome.

She could say it, she told her self silently as they watched each other in silent wonder. Just say it, she'd tried to force her declaration free, but it was to no avail. The last boarding call was made and the most she walked away with that day was a hug and a broken heart. Ryoma would never know how she felt. How she had… She willed away the unpleasantness of it all. She'd loved Ryoma as a girl. She was no longer a girl, and she felt was merely child's play.

Still, a small part of her couldn't help but wonder how much different her life might have been had she spoken those three magic words, that hot summer day eight years earlier. Would it be different at all?

"Doctor Ryuzaki," a voice shattered her thoughts, pulling her attention towards the male the hurriedly ambled towards her.

"Doctor Sachiya." She nodded, acknowledging the bedraggled older man, with salt and pepper tresses and chin whiskers. "Is something wrong?" She didn't like the way he looked one bit. Sakuno stared towards the room he just rushed out of and her anxiety peeked. The look on the old mans face told her that whatever, or whoever lay on the other side of those double doors would make her job quite complicated for the day.

"I told you we were expecting anew patient today."

Sakuno bobbed her head up and down slowly "I remembered. I'm not late am I?" She looked to her watch a second time. "It's just…"

"I know what time it is," Doctor Sachiya took her by the forearm as he cut her off. "You're not late, but our latest patient is a very important man from a very important family, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"All of our patients are important men from important this that or another," Sakuno returned.

"Not like him. " Doctor Sachiya grunted, "His father has donated tons of money to our facility over the years. "

Sakuno hmphed, stopping dead in her tracks. "You know I hate cases like this. The ones that have some sort of political gain underlying it."

"I know Sakuno, but…"

"But?" Sakuno interrupted, folding her arms over her chest. "Do you remember, Nagaharo Aguri?"

"Yes, Sakuno, but.."

"And you remember what happened when his therapy failed?"

"I do, but…"

"I won't go through that again." Sakuno turned on her heals, preparing to retrace her steps, to find his her movements stopped by doctor Sachiya's hand on her shoulder.

"One favor deserves another in return," He said stepping in her path.

Sakuno hated when he did that. Why did he always drudge up that card? Yes he was an old friend of her grandmother. And yes, if not for him, she would never have been accepted into one of the most prestigious schools for medical studies. Still after the incident of only two years ago, she was hesitant to help.

"I know how you feel," doctor Sachiya weighed in seeing her uncertainty, "but this hospital can't risk the loss of funding. The research we do here is expensive, and often the grants are not enough to cover our needs as scientist and doctors to ensure are studies are carried out to the fullest. We can't afford lose another backer. "

"Why not choose one of the other therapists to do the work?" There had to be a way out of this. At least she hoped there was.

"He has requested you," Doctor Sachiya informed her.

"Me?"

"Yes you." The doctor shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "He says he won't settle for anything less than the best, and since he's heard you're the best this facility has to offer, he wants you."

"The best?" Sakuno felt her face heat up at the mysterious patient's words of praise. "His flattery will get him no where." She said fighting the urge to smile. The best. Well she wasn't the best. She could name off the top of her head at least five other Physical trainers that were better than she at this job, at least in her opinion they were better.

Sakuno pushed her hands over her carefully braided rust colored locks, and let out a sigh. Doctor Sachiya was right. Losing Nagaharo Aguri families donations to the hospital had crippled them greatly. It would be a shame to loose yet another donor, because she had no desire to get involved with the political side of her work. None the less, this was her job. The career she had chosen. And despite his family ties to Pernevu, this mysterious man was still a patient in need. And she was a physical therapist.

'Fine, I'll do it," Sakuno muttered her eyes locked on the double doors. "But if at anytime I feel I can't deal with what's going on, I will pull out. I won't let things get out of hand like they did during that time. Is this understood?"

"Understood." The old man nodded as a smile spread over his face, "I knew I could count on you."

"For now at least," Sakuno giggled as they continued towards the examining room. "So, tell me, who's my patient?"

"I think you may have heard of him. Of course he was two years ahead of you and attended Hyoutei Junior High."

"Hyoutei?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know any of the members of Hyoutei's Tennis Team."

"Well he remembered you well enough. Says he never forgets a pretty face, of course he was staring in the mirror at his own when he made that remark."

'Pretty? Her?" Again a hot wave of blood filled her cheeks. She hadn't even met this mysterious man, and he was throwing all sorts of compliments her way. Despite his words of praise, Sakuno couldn't remember one male from Hyoutei. The only male that had received her attention during that time was Ryoma. But she would meet the mysterious patient of flattering words soon enough.

Jointly she and doctor Sachiya strolled through the double doors, and into the medical examining room. The hum, steady ticks, and beeps of the equipment echoed through the white room, and were accompanied by a man's voice. Two figures sat in the corner of the space. The first was and huge, burly man dressed in simple khaki's and a white knit shirt, He stood quietly, staring blankly as the man beside him chattered on and on about only the heavens knew what.

After carefully examining the first of the two men, Sakuno settled her eyes on the second. Instantly a flood of memories started to replay in her head. Lavender hair, cropped short above his ears, now hung low, brushing against the ridge of his jaw. Beautifully almond shaped Amethyst eye peered up at her. And same as always, his mouth was curved up into that god awful smirk he seemed to enjoy wearing. He was dressed in a pair of black slacks, powder blue shirt silk shirt and matching blazer. And looked as if he'd just stepped off the pages of GQ.

His name had not crossed her mind, but she recognized him. In fact, she found him quite unpleasant the few times she'd crossed his path. He was rude, obnoxious, and more than a little self absorbed. He was the arrogant twit that had said really nasty things about Ryoma. He was captain of Hyoutei Junior Highs Tennis Team. Atobe Keigo.


End file.
